Top Fire Safety Signs Your Building Needs to Have According to OSHA
With the COVID-19 pandemic subsiding restaurants, retailers, and offices have reopened their doors. No matter what type of business you operate, all need to comply with certain building regulations in order to keep employees safe. In particular, specific safety signs need to be placed around the building in strategic locations in order to convey safety information and maintain orderliness.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) governs most aspects related to employee safety and sets the rules around the signs that need to be used by companies. With a variety of fire safety signage, it might be confusing at first to decide what you need and where to place it. We are sharing some simple guidelines to better understand the top fire safety signs your building needs to have in order to be in compliance with OSHA. By following OSHA guidelines you will not only protect your business from potential fines but more importantly ensure employees and building occupants are well informed and able to protect themselves during an emergency situation.
Understanding OSHA Safety Signage Requirements
To best understand the exact guidelines for signs and tags when it comes to safety signage, business owners will want to reference OSHA 29 CFR 1910.145. These specifications lay out the types of signage, design requirements, and more you need to consider before purchasing building safety signage.
Pay attention to make sure your sign meets the regulations around:
● Coloring
● Signal words (Danger, Warning, etc.)
● Letter size and typography
● Sign placement/location
The last updates were reported in 2017 and while for now, businesses may use old signage, consider updating to avoid confusion.
3 Classifications of Safety Signs
OSHA has categorized safety signage into three classifications. All three are typically going to be required for businesses and each relates directly to the severity of hazards.
1. Danger: The signs categorized under danger are for the most serious hazards. “DANGER” will be printed in white letters on a white background with a safety alert symbol, generally an exclamation point within a triangle. These signs indicate special precautions must be taken and death or serious injury is highly likely to take place if the hazard is not avoided.
2. Warning: This group of signs is for hazards that may result in death or serious injury, but are not as concerning or severe as “Danger” hazards. These signs use the word “WARNING” printed in black with an orange background.
3. Caution: The final group of signage is caution signs that may result in minor or moderate injuries. The word “CAUTION” is printed in black on a yellow background header with a safety alert symbol.
Specific Types of Safety Signs
There are a total of 6 different types of safety signs. Each plays an important role in keeping employees safe and productive.
● Notice signs that deliver information. These can include machine procedures, maintenance information, or rules.
● General safety signs offer broad safety-related messaging. These typically include guidance around first aid, housekeeping, sanitation, and more.
● Admittance signs alert people to the dangers or consequences of entering specific or restricted areas.
● Fire safety signs can include anything to prevent or protect against fire. These signs include fire extinguisher signs, exit route maps, and emergency exit signs.
● Non-hazard signs pass along information on general building safety like wayfinding.
Safety Sign Placement
With such a wide variety of signs, it is tough to know exactly where placement is required through your building. Below is a quick reference guide on sign placement, but be sure to check with OSHA for complete information.
29 CFR 1910.145(f)(3) is OSHA’s specification regarding where signs should be placed within the building. 29 CFR 1910.145(f)(4)(vi) states that signs must be placed “as close as safely possible” to the nearby hazard. Beyond that, depending on the type of the sign placement might vary.
Bottom line, you need your workers to be able to see the signs from a safe distance and ensure they are able to keep themselves safe. 29 CFR 1910.145(f)(4) requires the sign’s signal word—“Danger,” “Caution,” etc.—to be readable from at least five feet away.
Meet OSHA Requirements for Fire Safety Signs
Take the first step toward developing a safe workplace. Partnering with Jessup Manufacturing you have access to a wide variety of OSHA-approved fire safety signs in a variety of sizes, types, and technologies to ensure you have exactly what you need.
Shop our entire selection of fire safety signs or contact a team member to discuss your specific custom signage requirements.
